Gigabyte G1.Assassin Review

Introduction:

What is your primary use for a computer? Some people hate computers, they avoid using them as much as possible. We all know those types although I highly doubt any of them ever stumble upon our home here. People of OverclockersClub seem to be a different breed of human (an arguably better breed too in my opinion of course, but that's a WHOLE other story), we are the enthusiasts, the niche consumers that represent our passion wherever we go. What some folks newer to our little society may not realize however, is that companies recognize the niche group we have here and, even beyond recognition, will occasionally take strides away from the norm to cater a product or two to excite the likes of exactly us. Gigabyte is one of those outstanding companies that has decided to do just that. They've created a group of three motherboards to address three different price levels that bring so many integrated features, peripherals and technical know-how that it's enough to make your eyes water. The Gigabyte G1.Assassin is the highest spec'd tier of boards that Gigabyte is churning out currently and is priced at $540. It boasts not only an X58 architecture but a dual 8-Phase alternating Power System that provides stable power to the board under all circumstances. It is able to switch off between the two systems intelligently when one phase group overheats. There is also built-in hardware integration of a Bigfoot Network's card and a Creative X-Fi card with all of the toppings. This board is completely smothered top to bottom in components. So much so that Gigabyte had to expand into an XL-ATX form factor that is the largest out there. So large in fact, that listing every case in the world that supports this motherboard can be done on one single sheet of paper! Without further ado, I am ready to give this board a closer look to see just what all Gigabyte has done with this board and see just how well they did it.

Closer Look:

The packaging for the Gigabyte G51.Assassin is very militaristic. This follows right with the gaming theme that the board so proudly projects. Printed like an ammo box, Gigabyte distressed the lettering on the box with a rusty tint to give the box a more rugged feel. A large gold Three Year Warranty sticker sits below the huge G1.Assassin lettering while all of the standard grade feature icons line the bottom with a large G1 Killer Gigabyte Gaming Motherboard logo dominating the lower right corner. On the back of the box, an image of the motherboard sits front and center with text blips surrounding the board proclaiming various features of the board. Opening up the packaging let me pull out the inner box which is printed with a digital woodland camouflage design. Delving further, I open up the inner box to reveal the motherboard compartment with a see-through window giving me my first real glimpse of the motherboard. Emptying the contents, Gigabyte includes the motherboard container, an accessory container and some extra bling to leetify your life (results vary greatly between age groups).

All kidding aside, the accessories included with the G1.Assassin are thoughtful inclusions and really fill out the package as a whole. Gigabyte added in a huge G1 Killer poster that has the standard magazine ad on one side and a big target on the other, the pictures below describe it better than I ever could. Also loose in the box are two sheets of sticker bling including G1 Killer logos and bullet holes. Emptying out the accessory box reveals two installation guidebooks, a full User Manual, a driver disc, four SATA cables, a standard I/O panel, a CrossFire bridge, a dual link SLI bridge, a Tri-SLI bridge and some stickers. The package also includes a 5.25 inch drive bay filler with dual USB 3.0 ports, an eSATA/USB 2.0 port and a Quick Boost button. SATA cables come in both the straight and 90 degree angle varieties.

The packaging and accessory bundle all looks great, let’s take a look at the motherboard itself!